But wil ne schal nat fayle vs þat is soþ
And ȝet I haue alwey a coltes toþ
Line 3888
As many a ȝeer as it is passed henne
Syn þat my tappe of lyf bygan to renne /
For sikirlik whan I was born anon
Deth drough þe tappe of lyf and leet it goon
Line 3892
And now so longe / haþ þe tappe I-ronne
Til þat almost al empty is þe tonne
The streem of lyf now droppeth on þe chymbe
The sely tonge may wel rynge and chimbe [[? first clymbe]]
Line 3896
Of wrecchednes þat passed is ful ȝoore
with olde folk / sauf dotage is no more
Whan þat oure host had herd oure sermonyng
he gan to speke as lordly as a kyng
Line 3900
And seyde what amounteþ al þis wit
what schul we speke alday of holy wryt
The deuyl made a Reue for to preche
Or of a sowter schipman or a leche /
Line 3904
Sey forþ þi tale and tarye nat þe tyme
Lo heer is Depford / and it is passed prime
Lo Grenewich þer many a schrewe is Inne
It were al tyme þi tale to bygynne
Line 3908
NOw sires quod þis Osewold þe Reue
I pray ȝow alle // þat noon of ȝou him greeue
Though I answere and somwhat sette his howue
For leeful is wiþ force force to showue
Line 3912
This dronken myllere haþ I-told vs heer
how þat bygiled was a Carpenter
Parauenture in scorn for I am oon
And by ȝour leue I schal him quyte anoon
Line 3916
Right in his cherles termes wol I speke /
I pray to God his nekke mot tobreke
he can wel in myn eye see a stalke [folio 52b]
But in his owne he can nought seen a balke
Line 3920
HEre endeþ þe prologe of þe Reue [[No break in the MS.]]
